Road strip



April 17, 1928. 1,666,612

7 L. G. WOQDS ROAD STRIP Filed July 19, 1927 INVENTOR Patented Apr. 17, 1928 UNITED STATES LEONARD G. WOODS, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROAD STRIP.

Application filed July 19,

My invention is found in an end-toend union for elongate rails and bars of all sorts, such as to prevent relative displacement in transverse direction. It finds specific application in rails intended to carry and sustain the weight of moving bodies, and I have practiced it in the laying of the parting strip which is employed in the building-of con- I crete roads. Such a. strip is formed of sheetsteel, live or six inches wide, according to the thickness specified for the body of the concrete road. The strip ordinarily extends down the middle of the road. It is set upon the sub-grade, before the concrete spread, and is staked to place, and the concrete is spread on either side against it. its upper edge should extend in substantially uniform and unbroken continuity, that certain finishing tools may move freely and uniformly upon it as a guide. Of neccssity the strip is formed in lengths or sections which are built to place, and the desideratum is a union which shall be rigid, with no transverse movement between the united sections, and a union which shall afford a continuous and uniform edge from section to section.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. l is a view in perspective of a portion of a parting strip for concrete roads, staked to place; the figure shows the ends of two sections; connected in a. union of my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in plan from above of the two section ends spaced apart and of the key in which my invention centers in position between. Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the same association of parts.

The parting strip 1 here chosen for purposes of illustration is of a. now familiar shape, and includes a V-shaped channel with wide marginal flanges, set with the flanges extending in vertical plane. The strip is staked to position on the sub-grade by stakes 2 which pass through. holes formed for them in the side webs of the V-shaped channel. The sections of which the strip is made up are provided in their upper and lower marginal flanges with longitudinally extending slots 3, so placed that when two sections are brought to end-to-end alignment, the slots come to registry. Keys 4 are provided to enter the aligned slots. These keys may be formed of rolled sheet steel,

1927. Serial No. 206,882.

essentially such material as that which constitutes the stripsthemselves. And the slots 3 are accordingly such in width as to receive these keys with sufiicient snugness of fit. The keys themselves are slotted with corresponding slots The space interval between the bases of slots 5 is approximately elqual to the aggregate length of two aligned s ots 3.

The assembly will be manifest on considering the drawings. The keys extend in planes transverse to the vertical plane in which the marginal flanges of the strip sections extend; the sections of the strip come to end-to-end alignment with keys between; and the keys fill the aligned slots and extend upon the opposite faces of the strip sections which themselves enter and are seated in the slots in the keys.

It will be evident that in the laying of the parting strip each succeeding section may be pinned to place, and the next section may then be keyed to accurate alignment and continuity with it and then in its turn be pinnedto place. A parting strip embodying the present invention is of simplest form, of minimum cost, easily and accurately assembled. No deflection nor offsetting of the web ofmaterial is required for jointing. The edge is continuous and uniform throughout the succession of sections. And the union is strong to resist all strains and'no displacement can occur of the united section ends in any direction transverse to the line in which the strip extends.

I claim as my invention:

1. A structural union of two bars brought to juxtaposition end to end, such union including aligned slots in the ends of the bars and a slotted key extending within the slots in the bars with the substance of the bars extending within the slots in the key.

2. A structural union of two rail sections brought to end-to-end alignment, such. union including aligned slots in the ends of the rail sections and a slotted key extending within the slots and by virtue of its slotted condition extending over opposite faces of the rail sections.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

LEONARD G. 'WOODS. 

